Paper cap exploding novelty toy



Jan. 14, 1969 A. M. ZALKIND 3,421,256

I PAPER CAP EXPLODING NOVELTY TOY I Filed on. 1, 1962 Sheet of 3 INVENTOR Jan. ,14, 1969 Filed Oct l PAPER CAP EXPLODING NOVELTY TOY ZALKIND l I -402 I I 396 A. M. ZALKIND PAPER CAP EXPLODING NOVELTY TOY Jan. 14, 1969 Sheet Filed Oct. 1, 1962 United States Patent Ofifice 3,421,256 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 22 Claims This invention relates to noise making toys, and more particularly to a novelty toy for eflecting noise by explosion of paper caps.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toy whip which may be moved with a snapping action in simulation of cracking a whip, wherein such motion effects explosion of a paper cap to simulate a loud snap.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cap exploding novelty whip which has means for feeding caps from a roll for successive explosion.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the moving mass of the whip for actuating a cap feed mechanism and for striking a heavy hammer blow on caps to increase the sound of explosion.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a construction for achieving the above object of the invention which will be simple, economical to manufacture, safe in use, and durable.

Other objects and features of the invention will be ap' parent as the description is developed herein below.

Briefly, the concept comprises the combination of a whip element, for example, of leather, plastic, rope, etc., fastened to a handle wherein the handle has a cap exploding mechanism actuated in response to a snapping movement of the whip as held in a childs hands. Various forms of the invention are disclosed. For example, in its most basic form, the handle may be a simple cylinder which holds a sliding hammer or a swinging hammer. When the whip is snapped, the hammer strikes a cap against a metal anvil fixed in the handle to explode the cap. Various means for securing caps within the handle may be used; for example, a multiplicity of adhesively backed caps can be carried on respective anvils coacting with a single hammer. Preferably, however, caps are fed automatically from a cap roll by a feed finger actuated by the snapping of the whip, although manually actuated feed may be used. A detailed description of the invention now follows, in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation of one form of the invention;

FIG. 1a is a plan view looking into the open housing of a modification of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the handle of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the components of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a portion of the handle of this form of the invention taken at right angles to the view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a view in the direction 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a view in the direction 99 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of certain components of the form shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an end view of certain components of the form shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary front view of another form of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side view of the form shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a front view of another form of the invention;

FIG. 17 is an elevation in cross section of this form of the invention;

FIG. 18 is an elevation partially in section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary view of certain components of FIG. 18, in plan;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary view of certain of the components of FIG. 19, in plan, shown from the opposite side;

FIG. 21 is an elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a plan view of certain components shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 24a is a fragmentary elevation in cross section of another form of the invention;

FIG. 24b is a plan view of one of the components of FIG. 24a;

FIG. 25 is an elevation of another form of the invention;

FIG. 26 shows another position of the components of the form shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a cross sectional detail taken at right angles to FIG. 25, and;

FIG. 28 is an elevation of a modified form of FIG. 25.

Heretofore, toy cap exploding whips have been proposed having single cap exploding means, and certain of the modifications disclosed herein are of that type, but have the novel feature that the moving mass of the whip element is utilized as a mechanical source of energy to strike the cap a hard blow, thus ensuring explosion and also, as I have found, increasing the loudness of sound in degree corresponding, within practical limits, to the heaviness of the blow.

My many experiments with operative models of various kinds which I have constructed indicates that there is a relationship between the degree of flexibility of the whip element, its mass or inertia, its length, and the mass or inertia of a moving hammer carrying element which determines the amount of manually furnished velocity or speed with which the toy must be snapped in order to explode caps. Thus, where the hammer carrying element, e.g. a pivoted rod or swinging arm or lever within the handle of the whip is of low mass and thus of small momentum, a heavy whip element such as rope attached thereto, weighing several times as much and being quite flexible, will slow up the movement of such arm. On the other hand, where the whip element has a relatively rigid lower section of appreciable mass relative to a flexible upper section, such lower section mass, coupled with the swinging arm mass overcomes the slowing effect of the flexible portion. In such case, the whip may be snapped much more readily.

Accordingly, it will be understood that in various embodiments herein disclosed, the mass of the whip element is utilized to hold hammer carrying elements to effect an unusually loud explosion. Also that such whip elements are of a type having a flexible section which is relatively low in mass compared to that of the hammer carrying element, or compared to such element in conjunction with a relatively stiff section of the whip element which is intermediate a flexible section and hammer carrying element.

Referring to FIG. 1, this form of the invention comprises a whip element 10 which may be of braided leather or plastic strands, or molded integrally of polyethylene,

or other soft plastic composition. The whip element is secured within a cap 13 threaded to a housing 16 having an internal longitudinal rib 17. The mode of securement may be as by a knot 20, although any suitable mode of securement may be used, for example, a clinched ring or other conventional device. A flexible plastic sleeve or boot 24 encompassing the cap and the base of the whip element to blend the two together so as to preserve the illusion of a continuous piece. The cap 13 and the handle 16 may be of molded plastic as may also be a closure cap 28 preferably having a quick threaded securement at the bottom of handle 16, which handle may be provided with molded ribbing or flutes 32, generally flared as shown, so as to appear to be a continuous portion of the whip element. Obviously, other types of ornamentation can be used.

Within the handle is a metal disc 35 threadedly secured therein adjacent apertures 38 and having a projecting anvil 39 at one side. A slidable metal hammer 42 is carried within the housing having a plurality of grooves 43 any of which can receive rib 17 to guide the hammer in straight upward movement towards anvil 35. On the top surface of the hammer may be disposed an adhesively backed disc 45 of angularly spaced caps 46. Thus, removal of end member 28 will permit the hammer to be removed from the handle and the cap 45 may then be applied. Upon assembly the hammer will be in the position shown as in FIG. 1. If now the whip may be snapped in the usual manner, the hammer will be propelled against the metal disc 35, with sumcient force to explode that cap which is aligned with anvil 39. Each time a cap is exploded, end member 28 is removed and hammer 42 removed and rotated to aline another groove 43 with rib 17, thus aligning a fresh cap with anvil 39. Obviously, there are as many grooves 43 as caps 46, and in the same angular array. Cap discs are of conventional manufacture, those on the market having radial slits to key to projections on an anvil; such construction can also be used in FIG. 1, with keying ridges provided on the hammer. However, an adhesively back cap disc, using the type of adhesive used on conventional adhesively backed single caps may also be used, due regard being given to relate the caps of the disc in alignment with the hammer grooves when changing discs; or a keying square ridge 42a can be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, this modification comprises the whip element 50 secured in a cap 54 which may be suitably secured to the handle 57. The cap 54 has a dependent shaped guide 61) for guidance of a strip 63 of caps from a roll 66 at the bottom of the handle and feeding through a slot 7 ii.

The handle may be comprised of two parts, being identical except for being a left and a right, as shown in FIG. 3 and may be assembled by means of upper and lower rivets 73, or removable bolts, passing through apertures 76 and retaining between the handle portions an anvil 79. The hand-1e is provided with diametrically opposed slots 85, through which the cap strip feeds, the strip resting on a metal support plate 88 (see FIG. 4) having diametrically disposed tongues 92 resting on the lower edges of slots 85 and retained by the assembly of the handle parts. The plate 88 is also provided with tongues 35 which look into respective slots 98 so as to hold the plate immovably fixed. The plate is provided with a central aperture 102 through which may pass the protuberance .106 of a hammer 109 slidably carried in the hand-1e, and normally resting on lower rivet 73. The handle is provided with various apertures such as large slots 116 for the dual purpose of permitting sound from the exploding cap additional egress, and also to permit clearing paper scraps from the handle, if need be by shaking them out.

The cap roll 66 is merely placed in the open bottom of the handle, and a portion of the cap strip pulled out and fed under guide 60 and across plate 88 between flanges such as 121} integrally molded as part of the guide structure, and fed across the plate 88. Each time the whip is snapped and the hammer protuberance 106 slams a cap against anvil 82, a fresh cap may be readily moved into place by the thumb of the hand holding the handle, by merely placing the thumb against the cap strip adjacent the end of guide 63 and pushing the strip upwardly a suitable distance. Spaced guide marks can, of course, be provided on the handle to render convenient the pushing of the cap strip the proper distance, i.e., the distance between powder charges in the strip.

Ordinarily, it is believed that the cap roll 66 really a rolled coil of paper, will be retained in the open bottom of the handle by virtue of the curl of its rolling. However, it will be understood that an end member such as end member 28 of FIG. 1 could be applied if desired, by threading at the bottom of the handle.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the modification shown comprises the whip element 124, fastened as by a ferrule 127 to a rod 131 having a ball end 133 secured for universal movement at the lower end of handle 136. Thus, the lower end of the. handle has a semi-spherically molded flange facing the ball 133, which in conjunction with a threaded end member 136 having a semi-spherical radial flange as shown, provides a suitable universal mount for the ball 133. The upper end of the rod 130 has a conically shaped hammer 143, secured thereto, and it will be apparent that the whip can be snapped in various directions to bring the hammer 143 against one or another of a ring of paper caps 1 .6. The slant of the hammer 143 is contemplated as being proper for bringing the surface thereof in parallelism with the plane of any of the caps regardless of the direction in which the rod swings about the ball joint 133 as the whip is snapped. Obviously, the surface of a hammer may be serrated or otherwise roughened as is conventional in toy pistols. The caps 146 are of the adhesively backed type and individually disposed in a ring within a sleeve 150 which may be threadedly secured at the upper end of handle 136. Thus, when all of the caps have been exploded, the sleeve 150 may be removed by unscrewing it and slipping it past the whip element 124 so that the exploded caps may then be removed, and fresh caps inserted. As shown in FIG. 6, an array of some eight caps may be used. Alternately, all of the caps may be on an adhesively backed strip.

Around the handle 136 there may be secured an octagonally shaped collar 153 to serve as a guide for the direction in which the whip is to be snapped to explode each succeeding cap. It is, of course, contemplated that the interior of the sleeve 1% will have markings either graphic or scored, to designate the locations of the caps corresponding to the flats of ring 153; that is, such markings will be aligned with respective flats.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a variation of FIG. 5. In this instance the whip element 156 is secured in the cap member 1160 which has molded therein a series of slots 163, there being eight adhesively backed paper caps to be disposed within the metal ring 17 t) which may be permanently secured within the plastic cap 160, The plastic cap 160 may be threadedly secured at 173 to the handle 176 and a rod 179 is carried for universal movement (as in FIG. 5) within the handle and has the hammer 181 secured thereto for engagement with the caps. In this instance, the slots 163 serve as a guide for the rod 179 so that by a slight rotation of the handle in the hand each time a cap is exploded, to dispose another slot in directly forward position, the rod will be guided into that slot on the next snap of the whip.

FIGS. 10-13 illustrate a form of the invention wherein a strip of caps 20% from a roll carried on a post 203 is fed upwardly, automatically into firing position, cap after cap. Thus, the generally rectangular box-like plastic casing 206 has a side wall 2ft? which carries post 203. A swinging arm or bracket 211 is pivotally secured on another post 213. The casing has a front wall 220 and a rear wall 224. A cover wall (not shown), which is the counterpart of wall 208 will be understood to be suitably flanged so as to clip over the open side of the casing in a conventional manner so as to provide a closure or it can be pivoted on post 213.

Carried by the wall 221) is a metal anvil 228 having side flanges 231 for guiding the cap strip feeding from roll 200, and shown are a series of barbs 238 carried by the anvil 223, centrally disposed. It will be noted that the barbs are disposed slantedly so that the sharp points will engage the cap strip and prevent downward movement, as viewed on FIG. 10.

The bracket 210 carries a feed finger 242 which may be a length of flexible leaf spring and which has a notch 245 at its free tip which straddles the line of barbs 238. The finger keeps a fixed holding pressure on the cap strip and biases arm 210 against wall 224. However, when the whip is snapped in the direction of arrow A the feed finger 242 via pointed tip 250 pushes the cap strip upwardly, due to flexure, and ultimately the hammer portion 254, of the arm strikes a cap against the anvil to explode it. The feed finger then flexes in the opposite direction and retracts to the position shown. The distance D indicates generally the extent of travel to correspond to the spacing between powder charges. It will be understood that the barbs are no larger nor sharper than necessary to prevent reverse movement of the cap strip when the feed finger is returning to normal position.

The barbs may be integrally machined from the anvil or they may be comprised of a strip of steel, similar to hacksaw teeth or jigsaw teeth, which strip is set into the anvil. One or more parallel rows of barbs may be used, with co-acting notches in the feed finger. Likewise, the barbs may be pointed wires set into aligned apertures in the anvil and bent over so that the points will dig into the cap strip to prevent rearward or downward motion. Obviously, there are many variations of the barb construction.

Conceivably, the notch 245 might be eliminated, the tip of the feed finger then being permitted to ride on that portion of the cap strip which is directly over the barbs.

However, I have found that it is more satisfactory to have the notch 245 so that the cap strip is not pressed directly on the barbs but is drawn down over them by the pressure of side portions 250.

A stiflfened lower section 258 of a Whip element is attached to an overhang 261 of arm 21f), such stiffened section adding to the momentum of the arm as hereinabove explained to strike a hard blow and to assist in overcoming the resistance to flexure of feed finger 242. However, it will be understood that the upper section (not shown) of the whip element is flexible so as to give 'a realistic curling and looping effect as the whip is snapped. As a. matter of fact, whips such as horsewhips or bull whips and buggy whips are generally made with a stiff lower section and a flexible upper section so that whip elements realistically simulating known whips can be used with the cap exploding structure described.

FIGURES 14 and 15 show an embodiment that uses a single cap disc of the adhesive backed type, as previously described, such as the cap disc 300, rotatively carried at the top of a handle 304, which may be of solid wood. Thus, the cap disc may be placed on a metal plate 3% pivoted as by a bolt 308, which bolt has a square head to fit a square aperture of the cap disc. The plate is held with suitable frictional fit by the bolt so that it can be rotated to bring any cap 312 into position under a projecting hammer 316 carried by the whip base 320 which is flexibly secured by a loop of leaf spring 324 to the handle. The whip element has a lower section 328 secured in the whip base 320, which lower section can be the length of a dowel rod, about half of an inch in diameter and possibly a foot to one and a half feet long, with a plastic thong (not shown), possibly a foot to two feet long attached at its upper end. Thus, the stiff rod adds to the mass of the base 320 or, in fact, may serve as substantially the entire mass for effecting sufficient momentum of a hammer projection 316 to explode caps when the whip is snapped in the direction of the arrow, as shown.

FIGURES 16 and 17 illustrate a whip which utilizes a cap roll manually fed by rotation of a frictional surface wheel 33% carried in side flanges 334 afiixed to casing 338. Thus, a shaft 340 is carried between the side flanges and the wheel has a loose fit thereon so that the cap strip 343 can be readily fed between the wheel surface and a backing plate 346 interiorly of the handle 338, being carried by flanges such as the flange 349, or preferably integral with such flanges which are suitably secured to or molded with the handle wall. Accordingly, when the handle is grasped, the wheel being at the front of the handle may be pushed inwardly and rotated in the direction of the arrow by a childs finger to feed the cap strip upwardly past the anvil 352 in position to be struck by the hammer 355 carried by the swinging arm 358 pivoted in the handle at 361 and carrying at its upper portion a whip element 363, it being understood that the lower section of the whip element is preferably stifi" so as to be virtually integral with the swinging arm in order to provide suitable cap-exploding momentum hammer.

FIGURES 18, 19 and 20 illustrate an embodiment which automatically feeds caps past the anvil as the Whip is snapped. The construction utilizes a handle 365 having a swinging arm 368 pivoted at 372 and carrying a hammer 375 and a whip base 378 to which is secured a whip element 332. Inasmuch as this particular embodiment utilizes springs which must be stressed, it will be appreciated that sufficient mass must be added to the swinging arm. Thus, the whip base 378 may be fairly heavy and the lower whip section rigidly secured thereto and of stiff material. However, I have found that it is entirely practical to make the full mass which actuates the swinging arm entirely part of the whip by using a suitably heavy lower section for the whip element.

In the construction under discussion, the swinging arm 36-8 is comprised of a pair of wire rods 368a and 36812 suitably bent, as shown in FIG. 19, and spaced by a collar or sleeve 385 to which they may be secured. At their upper portions the rods are embedded in the whip base 378 as shown. A hammer 375 is carried intermediate the rods and extending therefrom, being suitably secured thereto, and a hinge pin 392 is secured between the rods on which is pivotally carried a channel shaped feed finger 395 normally biased to the position shown by a compression spring 398 fastened at one end to a plate 402 secured between the rods, the other end of the spring being secured to the back of the feed finger. Arm 368 is thus biased against the housing end wall 365a. A roll of caps 405 is carried on a post in the usual manner in the handle below the curved portion of a hold-back leaf spring 468 having its lower end securely fixed to the easing wall and extending upwardly so as to lie fiat on the cap strip and maintaining a pressure thereagainst, terminating in a slight lip 412 which bears against the strip beyond the corners 415 of the side flanges of the feed finger 395, which corners grip the strip just inside the edges. Thus, when the whip is snapped, the arm 368 moves counterclockwise and finger 395 moves clockwise. The feed finger acts against the bias of spring 338 and digs into the cap strip to push the strip upwardly a distance equal to the spacing between powder charges so that a fresh cap is always fed into the hammer striking area on the anvil 417. The hold-back spring 438 prevents reverse movement of the cap strip by maintaining a steady pressure thereon. Otherwise, the return movement of the feed finger, due to action of the spring, would drag the cap strip in the reverse direction, resulting in no feed. The feed finger thus straddles the hold-back finger and moves up and down between the side guide elements 418, one of which has been removed in FIG. 19 in order to show other components more clearly. The effect of the holdback spring is to keep the cap strip flat and prevent buckling or wrinkling as the tips 415 of the feed finger move up and down, preferably always below lip 412, in preventing reverse feed.

It will be apparent that, due to the spacing of the rods which make up the swinging arm, the hold-back spring 408 may pass therebetween for convenient fastening to the wall of a handle. Any suitable cover for the open side shown in FIG. 19 may be utilized; for example, a plate pivoted on the pivot 372 or a plate having flexible flanges for clipping directly onto the handle to close the exposed interior.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the handle 425 (shown fragmentarily) has pivoted therein the usual swinging arm 428 and a rigid type of feed finger 432 pivoted as by a hinge joint 435 to the arm and having a bifurcated end 438 with cap strip engaging tips 440 and being biased by one or more tension springs, such as 44, to exert constant pressure on the cap strip 447, thus effecting a feed pressure while at the same time maintaining the swinging arm in its normal position against the rear wall of the casing. In this instance, reversal prevention pressure on the cap strip is effected by a V-shaped leaf spring pivoted freely on the post 448 and having a leg 451 which bears against the cap strip and maintains it fiat against anvil 453 and resistant to movement, having another leg 454 which bears against the end 457 of the notch which effects the bifurcation of the feed finger. In this instance, the spring means 444 dominates the resilience at the loop 452 between the spring legs 451 and 454 and, thus, the pressure against the cap strip is maintained by the force of spring means 444 acting on leg 451 through leg 454. However, if feed finger 432 be manually swung counter-clockwise away from the anvil against which the cap strip is pressed, the hold-back spring arrangement may then be freely pivoted around post 448 away from the cap strip without exerting any prying force thereon. In other words, the normal divergence of legs 451 and 454, when the pressure of the feed finger is removed therefrom, is not much greater for effecting spacing between such legs than the spacing shown in FIG. 22 and there is sufficient room in the handle to swing the hold-back element clockwise in order to render the anvil accessible for replacement of a cap strip. This is a convenience for loading a fresh roll of caps into the device.

In the models described in FIGS. 19 and 22, the travel of the feed finger follows a portion of the length of the hold-back means and in the extreme position of the feed finger, that is, when the hammer is against the anvil, the cap-engaging portion of the feed finger is preferably just slightly back of the extreme tip of the hold-back means, which tip preferably ends in a small bent-in lip to augment the anti-reversing effect of the hold-back element. In any event, the cap strip is maintained in fiat condition at all times and is thus supported against being buckled or wrinkled by the feed finger in either direction of its travel.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 23, there is shown fragmentarily the anvil 460 against which the cap strip 463 is pressed by a spiked feed wheel 466 rotatively carried at the bifurcated end of feed finger 469 spring-biased as by one or more springs 472, the feed finger being hinged at 475 to a swinging arm 478 suitably pivoted to the handle in a manner which will be readily understood. An angle piece 48!) may be used to support the feed finger and spring end. The Spiked rim of the wheel is preferably plastic so as not to inadvertently explode the caps; or offset so as not to engage the caps,or two spaced spiked rims which straddle the caps may be used.

No special hold-back means is utilized in the form shown in FIG. 23, but the spiked rim of wheel 466 is part of a one-way clutch of conventional construction, very commonly used and well-known. Thus, when the wheel is moving in an upward direction as the whip is snapped, the spiked rim does not rotate but serves to dig into the cap strip for feeding. However, on reverse movement, the spiked rim is free to rotate and thus does not drag the cap strip in the reverse direction.

In place of spring biased feed fingers a length of leaf spring may be used. Thus, as seen in FIGS. 24a and 24b, the feed finger may be a flexible leaf 483 of clock spring steel having a bend 486, being secured to hammer arm 490, and having a notch .92 at the bifurcated feed tip, such notch can straddle a hold back spring, such as spring 408 of FIG. 19 as shown or V spring 451 of FIG. 21. Of course, the depth of the notch for straddling the V spring depends on the amount of divergence of that spring, which in turn depends on its length and stiffness of material.

Referring now to FIGS. 25, 26, 27, a modification is shown wherein the cap firing mechanism and cap feed are all conventional as used in repeater toy pistols. Thus, such a mechanism is shown as being fairly representative in the U.S. patent to Atkinson No. 1,061,257.

The use of such a mechanism adapted for actuation by a whip element is effected by securing a whip element 500 to a bracket 503 keyed to a square section 506 of a trigger trunnion pin 510 and secured by a nut 513 against flange 516 integral with the pin, the assembly being maintained secured to handle 520 by a split ring 523.

Accordingly, it will be understood that the whip can be snapped in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 25 to the position of FIG. 26, and such motion which produce rotation of the trigger trunnion pin 510, precisely as though a trigger were keyed thereto, as in the aforementioned patent to Atkinson, the mechanism functioning in the same way. Thus, pin 510, rocks lever 526 to force feed finger 530 to feed the strip from cap roll 533, acting against bias of torsion spring 536 and causing sear 540 to raise hammer 543 against torsion spring 546 until the hammer is tripped to explode a cap against anvil 550; the mechanism is precisely as disclosed and explained in the Atkinson patent and, accordingly, reference is made thereto for details of the action.

I have found from experimentation that a fairly heavy whip element is required to operate the mechanisms of conventional toy pistols, although the action is entirely feasible by means of a suitably weighted whip element. Such an embodiment would be more complex and expensive than others described herein, but there is the advantage that less snap speed of the whip element can be used, for the reason that the hammer speed is provided by a spring rather than the velocity of the whip element.

Conventional triggers in repeater pistols require about 30-45 rocking. By the time this is magnified in distance by the whip element length, such a long traverse may be objectionable.

Therefore, FIG. 28 shows a simple mode of gearing down the Whip element movement. Thus, the trigger trunnion pin 510 is keyed to a gear segment 555 meshing with a gear segment 558 integral with whip element bracket which is pivoted on housing 520 as by a pin 562. Accordingly, assuming the segment 558 has twice the diameter of segment 555, the angular motion of the whip element need be but half as much to effect operation of the mechanism, as compared with direct keying of bracket 503 to pin 510.

If desired, strain and shock on the entire mechanism of the sudden stop of a heavy whip element can be avoided by providing a leaf spring 565 suitably secured to reinforcing rib 567 of bracket 503 and positioned to flexibly abut a pin 568 carried by housing 520 towards the end of movement of the whip element,

As has been heretofore mentioned, one of the features of the invention is the construction wherein the mass of the whip element forms part, or even most of, percussion producing mass. In order to achieve such effect efiiciently,

I have found that the base or lower portion of the whip element, e.g., as designated by the reference character 258 in FIG. or the reference character 500 in FIG. 25, should be a relatively rigid member so as not to bend when the whip is snapped. The diameter and length of such lower portion of the whip element is, of course, subject to wide variation depending on the material of which it is made, the size of the toy, the strength of the spring which biases the feed members, e.g., of FIGS. 21 and 23, or the stiffness of the springs which are also the feed members, e.g., in FIGS. 10 and 24a. Thus, specific showings of whip element having relatively rigid lower sections integral with the swinging hammer arms to which they are attached are shown in FIGS. 21 and 24a. However, it Will be understood that such type of whip element is also contemplated for other constructions, e.g., as shown in FIGS. 10, 15, 17 and 23. Comparison should be made with FIG. 18 wherein the heavy mass 378 is attached to the arm and, accordingly, the whip element 382 may consist of a completely flexible material. It will also be understood that the arm and hammer of FIG. 18 could, of course, be designed with such massiveness as to effect proper percussion in conjunction with a completely flexible whip element and no extra mass added, That, however, would be a relatively expensive undertaking and would add to the weight of the overall toy. Further, I have found, by experimentation, that where a completely flexible whip element is used, with no relatively stiff base section, it must be relatively light in comparison with a mass to be moved for effecting percussion. If it is relatively heavy, the mass is substantially slowed up by the need for putting the whip element into forward motion, such flexible whip element actually acting, according to my observation, against the motion of the percussion producing mass, such as the combined arm and hammer. Further, the use of a very light flexible element in conjunction with an arm and hammer of obviously larger mass is not as effective for producing a whip having a natural appearance.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and, therefore, do not seek to be limited to the precise illustrations herein given, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy of the class described, a handle, an anvil and a hammer carried by said handle, inertia means connected to said hammer whereby said hammer is actuated by a snapping movement of said handle, means for storing a plurality of caps in said handle and means for effecting successive striking of caps by said hammer against said anvil, said last-mentioned means comprising a feed finger connected for movement with said hammer and being biased against a strip of caps wherein movement of said hammer is synchronized with movement of said feed finger for effecting feed, and a hold-back element disposed to maintain a pressure on said strip to effect uni-directional feed by said feed finger.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said hold-back element being resiliently and continuously biased against the surface of said strip.

3. In a toy of the class described, a handle, an anvil and a hammer carried by said handle, inertia means connected to said hammer whereby said hammer is actuated by a snapping movement of said handle, means for storing a plurality of caps in said handle and means for effecting successive striking of caps by said hammer against said anvil, said last-mentioned means comprising a feed finger connected for movement with said hammer and being biased against a strip of caps wherein movement of said hammer is synchronized with movement of said feed finger for effecting feed, a hold-back element disposed to maintain a pressure on said strip to effect unidirectional feed by said feed finger, said hold-back finger being resiliently and continuously biased against said strip,

said hold-back finger having portion which presses a predetermined length of said strip substantially flat, said feed finger having a feed stroke acting on said strip which terminates short of the downstream end of said holdback finger.

4. A novelty whip comprising the combination of a whip element, and a handle therefor, means carried by said handle for exploding a cap, said means comprising a movable mounted element actuatable by a whipping movement of said whip element effected by manual movement of said handle, said movable element comprising an arm extending longitudinally in said handle and pivotally secured thereto, said whip element being secured to said arm whereby said whipping movement of said whip element effects rocking of said arm, and means carried by said arm for striking a cap.

5. In a toy of the class described, a handle, a whip element secured thereto, an anvil and a hammer carried by said handle, means whereby said hammer is actuated by a snapping movement of said handle, means for storing a plurality of caps in said handle and means for effecting successive striking of caps by said hammer against said anvil, including means for automatically feeding said caps from a roll, said means comprising a stressable spring member, and a feed member biased against said caps by said spring member for exerting a feed pressure on said caps, and means for stressing said spring member to effect said bias on said feed member and movement thereof, said latter means comprising said whip element wherein the mass thereof effects a force upon snapping of said handle to effect cap feed, and means whereby said whip element and said handle have relative motion with respect to each other.

6. A novelty whip comprising the combination of a whip element, and a handle therefor, means carried by said handle for exploding a cap, said means comprising a movable mounted element actuatable by a whipping movement of said whip element effected by manual move ment of said handle, said movable element comprising an arm extending longitudinally in said handle and pivotally secured thereto, said whip element being secured to said arm whereby said whipping movement of said whip element effects rocking of said arm, and means carried by said arm for striking a cap, said whip element having a relatively stiff base portion connected to said arm, said base portion and said arm being substantially integrally movable upon whipping movement.

7. A novelty whip having a handle and comprising a whip element movable relative thereto, actuating means operatively connected to said whip element and comprising a hammer element actuatable by said whip element, an anvil element against which said hammer element may strike a cap, a feed finger, and means interconnecting said hammer element and feed finger for synchronized movement thereof to feed and strike caps upon snapping movement of said whip element.

8. In a novelty whip as set forth in claim 7, means comprising a wheel carried by said feed finger and engageable with caps and having a one-way clutch to prevent rotation in one direction when said wheel is feeding said caps and permitting rotation when said feed finger moves to an initial position after a feeding motion.

'9. A whip as set forth in claim 7, said feed finger comprising a resiliently biased member, said hammer element comprising a pivotal arm, said feed finger normally biasing said arm to maintain said hammer at an initial spacing from said anvil.

10. A novelty whip as set forth in claim 9, said feed finger being carried by said arm, and means connecting said finger and arm whereby said finger has a rocking motion relative thereto, said feed finger having a cap engaging feed end disposed to bias caps against said anvil element.

11. In a device as set forth in claim 10, said feed finger and biasing means comprising a resilient leaf spring.

12. In a device as set forth in claim 10, said feed finger comprising a rigid member and said biasing means comprising a spring for effecting said bias on said feed finger.

13. A novelty Whip comprising a whip element, a hammer element operatively connected thereto and movable thereby, an anvil element against which said hammer element may strike a cap in a strip of caps, a feed finger, and means interconnecting said hammer element and feed finger for synchronized movement thereof to feed and strike caps upon snapping movement of said whip element, said feed finger having a tip engageable with said cap strip to feed caps into position in one direction on said anvil and movable in the opposite direction back to an initial position after a feeding movement, and resilient hold-back means normally engaging the face of said cap strip along the course of movement of said feed finger wherein said strip may be moved past said holdback element by said feed finger and wherein said holdback element is operative to prevent reverse movement of said strip upon reverse movement of said feed finger, said feed finger being set at an angle with respect to the direction of movement of said caps.

14. In a toy of the class described, a handle, an anvil and a hammer carried by said handle, inertia operated pivotally mounted means whereby said hammer is actuated by a snapping movement of said handle, means for storing a strip of caps in said handle and feed means for effecting successive feeding of caps for striking by said hammer against said anvil, said feed means comprising a stressable spring member, and a feed member biased against said strip by said spring member for exerting a feed pressure on said caps, said inertia operated means being connected to said feed member and being operable by a snapping motion of said handle to actuate said feed member for feed movement of said strip.

15. In a toy as set forth in claim 14, strip holdbaok means being disposed to constantly engage said strip.

16. In a toy as set forth in claim 14, and strip hold back means comprising barb elements disposed to press into said strip, said feed member having a tip disposed to push against said strip in feed direction and drag against said strip in reverse movement back to an initial positon.

17. In a toy as set forth in claim 14, and strip hold back means comprising a V-shaped flexible leaf having a portion constantly pressing against said strip and having a portion engaging said feed member to effect pressure on said first-named portion.

18. -In a toy as set forth in claim 14, and strip hold back means comprising a wheel carried by said feed member and engageable with said strip and having a oneway clutch to prevent rotation in one direction when said wheel is feeding said strip and permitting rotation when said feed member moves to an initial position afted feeding motion.

19. In a toy as set forth in claim 14, said feed member having a tip engageable with said strip at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of feed, hold-back means comprising a resilient member disposed for constant engagement with said strip, said tip having an open space through which said hold-back means extends for a distance at least equal to the length of feeding movement of said feed member.

20. In a toy as set forth in claim 19, said feed member comprising an element of channel shaped having spaced side flanges defining said open space therebetween.

21. In a toy as set forth in claim 19, said feed member comprising a flat element, said open space being effected by a notch at said tip.

22. In a toy as set forth in claim 14, said inertia operated means comprising said whip element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 926,307 6/1909 Wertz 46198 2,225,510 12/1940 Smith 46195 3,032,925 5/1962 Boring 46176 LOU-IS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.-R. 

1. IN A TOY OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A HANDLE, AN ANVIL AND A HAMMER CARRIED BY SAID HANDLE, INERTIA MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HAMMER WHEREBY SAID HAMMER IS ACTUATED BY A SNAPPING MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE, MEANS FOR STORING A PLURALITY OF CAPS IN SAID HANDLE AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING SUCCESSIVE STRIKING OF CAPS BY SAID HAMMER AGAINST SAID ANVIL, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING A FEED FINGER CONNECTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID HAMMER AND BEING BIASED AGAINST A STRIP OF CAPS WHEREIN MOVEMENT OF SAID HAMMER IS SYNCHRONIZED WITH MOVEMENT OF SAID FEED FINGER FOR EFFECTING FEED, AND A HOLD-BACK ELEMENT DISPOSED TO MAINTAIN A PRESSURE ON SAID STRIP TO EFFECT UNI-DIRECTIONAL FEED BY SAID FEED FINGER. 